The Cabot Cabin
by tranq
Summary: AU. Alex Cabot is a writer and has gone to her family's cabin in New Hampshire to work on a new project. Olivia Benson is ranger working the Appalachian Trail. An early winter storm is moving in. f/f
1. Chapter 1

AN: This is my first go at writing fic, so feed back is appreciated. I started in on this last winter after coming across a photo of a little, blue cabin on the internet that was titled "Cabot Cabin." It gave me the idea for this story, or at least the beginnings of it.

AN2: I don't own the characters, unfortunately. They belong to Dick Wolf.

_"Falling temperatures and high winds will accompany 20-24 inches of snow over night in the White Mountains. Expect heavy drifting and road closures. Subzero temperatures will persist into next week and more snow is likely..."_

Olivia clicked off the radio, glad that she'd be headed home for the weekend in less than an hour. With any luck people would heed the winter storm warnings and stay put for a few days. Not that many people wintered in this section of New Hampshire. Summer and fall were the busy seasons, when she and her fellow rangers were overworked thanks to ill-prepared hikers on the Appalachian Trail.

Having finished the last of her reports, Olivia tidied her desk, pulled on her coat and grabbed her broad-brimmed hat as she knocked on her boss' door.

"Hey, Don, I'm headed out. I'll see you next week."

"Oh Liv! I'm glad you're still here. I know you're off duty, but can you swing up north on your way home? John's tied up with a moose-meets-motor-vehicle accident and is behind on his rounds. I wouldn't ask, but this storm is coming in so quickly."

"Sure thing. It's not like I've got any reason to rush home."

"Thanks. It shouldn't take you too long. The Johnson's and Old Ned should be just fine. And I think that writer up in the Cabot cabin said she was heading back to Boston this week."

Pushing back from her desk, Alex took her glasses off and rolled her shoulders. It was growing dark in the cabin; somehow the afternoon had gotten away from her, and yet she felt like she had made no progress at all. Maybe she should have stuck with historical fiction, she was good at that. But trying to pull apart the threads of an 11 year old boy's death after almost a century, having to limit her story to the facts, rather than being able to manufacture them, well, it was harder than she had expected it to be. Of course it didn't help that she had this nagging suspicion that she was missing some important piece of information.

Shaking the thought from her head, Alex put her glasses back on and got up to turn on some lights. It had gotten chilly and Alex glanced out the window, debating whether she should go out and get some firewood before it got too dark. The wind had picked up some and a few snowflakes were starting to fall. It looked like that storm was coming in faster than the morning weather forecast had predicted. Some extra firewood was probably a good idea.

Alex bundled herself up in her coat and an old scarf she had found in the trunk of her car. She paused as she put her hand on the doorknob. She was being silly. Despite the fact that she was 33 year old woman, she still felt the twinges of the irrational fear of bears she'd had as a child. It probably didn't help that her grandfather had told her such vivid stories when she was a child. Especially the stories about shape shifters that appeared as bears and wolves, abducting little girls like her who misbehaved.

"Snap out of it Cabot," Alex said to herself. "Nobody's going to get you wood for you. Just go get it and you can have a glass of wine." Opening the door, she stepped out into the cold.


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: Thanks for the reviews! I'm still figuring some of this out as I go, but I have a good idea of where I want to end up. This chapter got a bit longer than I anticipated. Hope you enjoy!**

Stepping up into her jeep, Olivia set her hat on the passenger seat, on top of the plate of chocolate chip cookies the Johnson's had given her. She was cold and wet, and more than ready to head home after tangling with Ned. The man was just plain mean-spirited. She'd lost track of how many times he had threatened her with a shot gun over the past 12 years. At least this time he didn't pull the trigger. Shaking her head, she put the jeep in gear and pulled back out onto the road.

The snow was starting to accumulate. At least an inch had fallen since she had left the office an hour ago. Munch was going to owe her big. He was probably already at home and warm. She'd be lucky to get home before 7:00 p.m., between the weather and the ten mile drive up to the Cabot Cabin. And given the direction her evening seemed to be headed, she'd drive all the way up there and find out that this writer was long gone and back in Boston. Sighing, she reached over and grabbed a cookie; it would have to tide her over until she got home and made dinner.

Alex was just starting back to the porch with her second armload of wood when she saw headlights flash across the yard. Watching the jeep pull to a stop, Alex wondered who would be out this far in this weather. The cabin was 25 miles from town and at least ten miles from the nearest house. Climbing the steps to the porch, she put her load down before turning to the rail to see who her visitor was.

The jeep's engine was cut and Alex saw a tall figure step down, settling a broad-brimmed hat on top of their head. She let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding as she recognized the ranger's hat. _I don't know what's gotten into me today, I'll be jumping at shadows next_, thought Alex. The ranger had reached the bottom of the steps.

"Good evening, ranger. It's a cold night to be all the way out here."

The ranger looked up and Alex felt herself being scrutinized as the ranger's warm, brown eyes traced a path from Alex's boots upward, finally locking with her own vividly blue eyes. _My god, she's beautiful. Not your typical ranger! _She suddenly realized she was staring when the corner of the ranger's mouth curled up into a cock-eyed grin.

"Yes, ma'am. It sure is cold. But with this storm coming in I was just doing the rounds. We didn't know if you were still out here. Don, my boss, thought you might have headed back to the city already. Since your cabin here really isn't set up for winter."

"I didn't expect winter to arrive quite so abruptly. But I've got plenty of wood to keep warm this weekend," Alex said, gesturing to the wood pile across the yard.

"Well, you're going to need it. This storm just seems to be getting bigger based on what the National Weather Service is saying. Let me give you a hand bringing up a few more loads."

"That's not necessary, Ranger Benson," Alex responded, reading the patch on the ranger's coat. "I don't want to keep you out in this weather. And I'm sure you have others to check on tonight."

"It's no problem. You're my last stop and then I'm headed home. I'd feel better knowing you had plenty of wood and didn't need to venture out for a few days while this storm blows through. But they say there's another front developing behind this one, so you might want to consider closing things up here. I think winter's here to stay, even if it is early this year."

They made quick work of bringing several more loads of wood up to the porch. Olivia clapped her gloved hands together, surveying the pile. "This should get you through the weekend, but you don't have much kindling here. Do you have an axe?"

"I'm sure there must be one in the shed, but I don't know."

"I've got one in my jeep. I'll just grab it and split a few of these logs for you."

"That's very kind of you. Can I offer you a glass of wine when you're finished?"

"Thanks, but I probably ought to head home." Olivia, seeing a flash of disappointment cross the other woman's face, quickly added, "but a cup of coffee would be great, if it's not too much trouble."

"No trouble at all. It's the least I can do. You're helping me even though you're off duty," Alex said. "And it's a Friday night. I imagine you have better things to do."

"No, ma'am. I'm just headed home to my dog, a hot bath, and a book."

A smile lit up Alex's face. "Good!," she said, faintly blushing, "I mean...I... I'll just go start the coffee." But as she turned toward the door she stopped and added, "and please, call me Alex. You're going to make me feel old if you keep calling me "ma'am", Ranger Benson."

"Alright. Then you should call me Olivia."

Olivia retrieved the axe from her jeep, part of her wishing she was just headed home. This was going to be her first weekend off in a month. She had been anticipating doing absolutely nothing tonight but soaking in the tub and starting one of the novels she had picked up at lunch. But another part of her was happy to have an excuse to spend a little more time with the blonde. She couldn't be sure, but she thought Alex might have been asking about her Friday night plans with a little more than a passing interest. And she'd definitely been staring when Olivia had first arrived. Shedding her coat and hat, Olivia made quick work of several logs.

She was just stacking the last of the kindling when Alex came to the door to let her know that the coffee was ready. Standing there in the open doorway, in her stocking feet, jeans and a blue cashmere sweater that accentuated her subtle curves, Alex was more beautiful than Olivia had first thought. When she had first taken in her long legs and her stunning blue eyes. Olivia grabbed her hat and coat and followed Alex inside.


	3. Chapter 3

AN: This chapter took me some time to figure out. I hope it was worth the wait and that it starts to put a few of the bones of my story together for you. The P.D. James reference is a tiny tribute to the author who passed away last month. Alex's book about Bonny and Read, is based on the real-life women pirates by those names. The Boston City Guard were founded in 1910 by a teacher at English High School, as a sort of vocational public school and an analog to Boston Latin, where many of the city's elite families sent their sons. I appreciate the reviews, please keep them coming!

"Just put your things on the coat rack and make yourself comfortable," Alex said, walking across the open living area to the kitchen. "Do you take cream or sugar in your coffee?"

"A little sugar, please." Olivia wiped her boots on the doormat and hung up her coat and hat. Surveying the interior of the cabin, she took in Alex's workspace to the right of the door. A laptop sat open with a screen saver cycling through what appeared to be old family photos. Orderly stacks of paper, lines of sticky notes, and a few books covered the surfaces of the two wooden tables set together to create a corner desk below two windows. Olivia imagined it was a pleasant place to work in the morning; the windows faced south and east. Now that it was dark outside, the windows reflected back into the cabin. She could see Alex moving around in the kitchen, and her own reflection as she stood in front of the door. To her left, a fire was just starting to crackle in the fireplace. An old leather couch and two arm chairs were arranged in front of the fire with a thick sheepskin rug between them. Beyond these was a staircase leading up into a loft located over the kitchen, a low railing separating the space from the high rafters of the main living space.

"Come and sit down," Alex invited, setting a tray down on the table between the arm chairs. "I really appreciate your help tonight, Olivia. I'd probably still be out there in the dark carrying wood if you hadn't stopped in to check on me. And I hadn't even thought about kindling."

Settling onto the couch and taking the cup Alex offered, Olivia smiled and said, "I'm glad I could help. Like I said, we weren't sure you were still out here. Are you planning on staying much longer?"

"I had originally planned on going back to Boston last weekend. But getting this book going seems to be harder than I anticipated." Alex paused, taking a sip of her coffee. "I suppose I should start thinking about packing up and closing the cabin down if winter's come to stay. I was just hoping I would have a solid outline before I had to go back to the distractions of the city and my family."

"It's hard to say, but this storm is shaping up to be a big one and there's another one right behind it. You should have a day or two of decent weather for travel if you wanted to head back after this storm ends. Once they clear the roads, that Volvo of yours should get you through."

Olivia took a long sip of coffee, enjoying the warmth. She gave an involuntary shiver at the contrast between the hot coffee warming her insides and the cold of her damp uniform. Closing her eyes, Olivia took another long drink. "Mmmm, thanks for the coffee. It's just what I needed."

After a moment the brunette opened her eyes and smiled at Alex, who was watching her intently. Alex shook her head slightly, tearing her eyes away from Olivia, and asked, "A long day?"

"Actually, it was pretty slow since the autumn leaves are starting to fall. And then with this storm coming in, the tourist season is pretty much over. But this will be the first weekend I've had off in a month."

"And here I am keeping you from getting started on it," Alex apologized.

"That's okay. Like I said, my big plans include a dog and a little reading. I've got all weekend to do nothing."

"And what does a ranger read?"

"This ranger reads a little bit of everything," Olivia answered. "I've even read a few of your novels, but I picked up a P.D. James novel for this weekend."

"That sounds like an excellent choice for a relaxing weekend. I love her books."

"You said you were starting a new book. Is it another colonial Boston book? Or are you going to write a follow up to your Bonny and Read novel?" Olivia asked with interest.

"I think you're the only person I've met who has expressed any interest in a book about cross-dressing, bisexual women pirates," Alex laughed. "No, my editor has forbidden me from writing another Bonny and Read novel."

"That's too bad. I like the couple Boston books I've read, but I think your characterization of Bonny and Read was much more compelling."

"Well, thank you. I really enjoyed writing them. Maybe someday..." Alex answered a bit wistfully. "No, now I'm trying my hand at some non-fiction. And "trying" seems to be the operative word today. Actually, maybe you could help me with something.

"Part of the reason I decided to come up here to the cabin to work was because the project I'm working on is tied to this area. But it turns out that I'm hopeless with maps and places that don't have street signs. I've spent all day trying to locate a certain Moose Creek Falls. It doesn't seem to be on any map I can find. I also have a story about a cache of Indian gold that was supposedly buried at the base of the falls. And the fact that it was at least a semi-popular hiking destination with groups of the Boston City Guard in 1913 and 1914. But none of that seems to be helping me track this place down. Have you ever heard of a Moose Creek Falls or this legend about Indian gold?"

Olivia laughed, "If I had a dollar for every story I've heard about buried Indian gold, I could retire. Some of the stories are pretty old, but a lot of them are manufactured by parents trying to get their kids excited about going camping. The same thing could have happened with your City Guards. That would explain why you can't find any other evidence for the story. It could have been made up by a particular troop leader to motivate the boys. I don't know of a Moose Creek Falls, but some names never make it on a map, and some places have several names. If you have a map, I could make a couple of educated guesses for you."

"That would be great," responded Alex, rising from her chair and heading toward her desk. "I've got several maps over here."

Olivia put her cup down and followed Alex, watching her leaf through a stack of maps. "If you have a topographical map, that would be best." Alex pulled out a 1:50,000 map showing the northern portion of the White Mountains and offered it to her. "A 1:25,000 would be better, but this might work. Do you have a pencil?"

Olivia laid the map down as Alex handed her a pencil and turned on a desk lamp. Tracing her finger over the map, Olivia began circling several unmarked spots on the map. After a few minutes she straightened and said, "Those are some possibilities, but I could be more precise with a more detailed map. I wouldn't recommend heading off into the woods with this to guide you."

"This is great. Maybe I could take further advantage of you and convince you to play tour guide for me." Alex stepped closer to Olivia and leaned over the map, bracing herself on her elbows. "You have marked a bigger area here to the north. Why is that?"

Olivia barely heard Alex's question. _Was the blonde flirting with her? _As she took in the curve of Alex's backside in her skinny jeans as she bent over the desk, Olivia began to imagine what it might look like in something skimpier and lacier. Alex had pulled her long hair to one side as she pored over the map and Olivia could see the delicate line of her neck and the barely pink of her ear lobe. She abruptly shook herself, before her imagination ran away with her, and spoke, her voice a little huskier than she would have liked: "That area has a number of smaller streams and a pretty drastic change in elevation. I haven't hiked there much, but I know there are a number of falls that don't show up on this map." Catching Alex's eye as the blonde turned away from the map, she added, "Unfortunately, this isn't the best time of year to make a tour of the backcountry, unless you're a hard core hiker or climber."

"No, I suppose not. Are you cold?"

"Wh...what?" Olivia asked, startled by Alex suddenly reaching out to touch Olivia's collar.

"Oh! Your shirt is soaked. I thought I saw you shiver. You must be freezing! Come back over to the fire where it's warm." Alex ran her hand from Olivia's collar, across her shoulder and down her arm, before grabbing her hand and gently tugging the ranger back toward the fire. "Sit down and I'll warm up your coffee."

"Um..., thanks?" Olivia was more than a little bewildered. After the turn her thoughts had taken while she was admiring Alex's body and the tingle she could still feel in her fingers where Alex had grasped her hand, she was just thankful that the blonde thought her shiver was cold-induced rather than the product of lust.

Alex returned with more coffee and a fleece blanket. "Here, this should help warm you up." She settled onto the opposite end of the couch and tucked her feet up under herself. "I hope you didn't get so wet helping me with the firewood."

Olivia smirked into her coffee cup, silently admonishing herself to drag her mind out of the gutter. Alex was clearly being sincere; it was just in Olivia's mind that that comment was a double entendre. "No, a tree dumped a load of snow down my jacket when I was checking on Old Ned. Now there's someone you might ask about Moose Creek Falls. He grew up here and used to lead hunting parties all over the backcountry. But I wouldn't advise going over there on your own. He likes to take potshots at anyone who comes in range of his house."

"Sounds like a character. Do you really think he might know something?"

"Maybe. I can try to ask him on Monday when I make my rounds."

"I didn't realize checking on the welfare of residents was part of a forest ranger's job. I thought you mostly made sure campers were obeying the rules and educated the public about plants and animals."

"It depends on the kind of ranger. You're thinking of the interpreters. They're mostly seasonal employees. I'm law enforcement and while it's a bit of a gray area, we try to keep up good relationships with the residents in the national forest. They're often the ones to report problems to us and because they live here they're more invested in the area than visitors. And law enforcement coverage can be thin out in rural areas, we're often first responders in cases of emergencies because we're already in the area."

"Ahh, that explains why you're wearing a gun. I have to confess that I'm more of a city girl. I haven't really spent any time in the great outdoors since I was a kid. We used to come up here every summer for a month before school started. But after I started college, I always seemed to have other, more important things to do. Or at least they seemed important at the time."

Olivia listened as Alex reminisced about summers spent rambling through the woods, nights around bonfires exchanging ghost stories and toasting marshmallows with her family. Finishing the last of her coffee, she sat her cup down on the end table, the motion breaking Alex's focus on memories that seemed to belong to another person's life they were so distant. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to ramble on."

Olivia set aside the blanket Alex had given her and slid to the edge of the couch. "It sounds like you have some fond memories. I hope you'll continue to spend time up here, now that you've come back. This cabin is built in one of the most beautiful little valleys, in my opinion. Although I don't know how you manage to get much work done with your desk in front of those windows. The view must be spectacular during the daytime. I'd have trouble staying put."

"That was a long time ago, and like I said, I'm much more of a city girl nowadays. And even back then I didn't really like to stray too far on my own. My grandfather was a convincing story teller and I was all too willing to believe his stories about wolves and bears that abducted little girls who wandered off by themselves. But it certainly is beautiful up here," Alex said with a pointed look at Olivia.

Olivia laughed, "Well, there aren't any wolves here anymore and as long as you keep your food and trash properly secured, bears shouldn't be a problem. But I can do a quick check around outside before I leave if you like."

Alex blushed and Olivia quickly added, "It's easy to convince yourself there are things out there in the dark. Sometime I'll have to tell you about the monster raccoon that chased me part way down a mountain." Rising from the couch, she continued, "Thank you for the coffee, but I should get going before this storm gets any worse. And I'm sure Sadie, my dog, will claim she's starving to death when I get home."

Striding to the door, Olivia pulled her wallet from her inner coat pocket and turned to give Alex her card. "If you do run into any trouble, call dispatch and they'll send someone out. I'll stop by on Monday to make sure you've weathered the storm alright." Her fingers brushed Alex's as she handed over the card, and again she felt that warm tingle. Reluctantly she pulled her hand back and reached for her coat and hat. She put her jacket on and zipped it halfway up before grasping the doorknob. She paused when Alex said her name.

"Olivia. Thank you for all of your help tonight. I hope you have a relaxing weekend."

Olivia turned back and smiled crookedly at Alex. "It was my pleasure, Alex. Keep yourself warm this weekend and don't hesitate to call that number if you need anything." Then she pulled open the door and settling her broad-brimmed hat onto her head, she stepped out into the snowy night and headed to her jeep.


	4. Chapter 4

AN: Sorry this took me a little longer than I anticipated. This is a bit of filler to get the ladies through the weekend. For all those of you hoping they would get snowed in together, remember that there is another storm on the way ;).

Franklin Carpenter was the founder of the Boston City Guard, a precursor to the Boy Scouts of America in the Boston area. He founded the Guard in 1910. He was also a teacher at English High School, a vocational school established in response to the college prep school, Boston Latin. While I am borrowing some historical figures here, I am taking whatever liberties I feel necessary for the story, with no offense intended to anyone. And of course, Olivia and Alex aren't mine, but I'm having fun playing with them! Thank you all for the reviews and encouragement!

AN2: Sorry about the formatting issue. Not sure where it came from and I posted and walked out to dinner, so I am just getting back to it.

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><p>Alex's weekend was dragging on and on. She sat back in her chair, putting her feet up on her desk. Staring out the window, she only half saw the snow whipping about as the wind howled around the cabin. Her mind kept wandering; she must have read the same page of Frank Carpenter's diary five times. She was starting to think that Carpenter wasn't going to help her figure out where Moose Creek Falls. Despite his detailed notes about places in the White Mountains that the Boston City Guard had camped and hiked during its first three years as an organization, there was nothing about any place with a Moose in its name, nor mention of any water falls. She needed another angle. But even what that angle might be was eluding her, as her thoughts kept turning back to a certain beautiful ranger.<p>

Warmth. Everything about Olivia radiated heat. Her tousled, chestnut hair. Her deep, brown eyes. Her smooth, bronze skin. And strength... Alex felt a little flushed herself, remembering the feel of hard muscle and sinew as she had run her fingers across Olivia's broad shoulder and down her arm. She could still feel the clearly defined bicep under the fabric of her uniform shirt, still see the muscles of her forearms flex as she had braced herself on the desk over the map. Alex let herself fantasize about what it would it be like to be held in those arms, pressed close to Olivia's body, lips locked together...

The rattle of window glass brought Alex back to the present as a strong gust of wind hit the front of the cabin. "Great! As if this project isn't frustrating enough," Alex growled to herself, "now I can add in some sexual frustration!"

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><p>Olivia found herself re-reading the same sentence for the fifth or sixth time. Sighing, she tossed the book onto the coffee table and rubbed her hands across her face. "Arrgghh! Sadie, I can't get that woman out of my head." The black and gray Australian Shepherd mix dog lifted her head and cocked her ears toward the woman lying on the couch. Olivia sat up and swung her bare feet onto the rug. "Let's go shovel the walk. Maybe I can sweat her out of my system," she said to the dog as she stood up. "Oh, who am I fooling!" As she put on her socks and boots, Olivia kept up a one-sided dialog with her dog. "Yeah, I know I've got it bad. But you should have seen her. Legs that go on forever. I bet you'd have trouble keeping up with her on a run. And she has these blue eyes that lock on to you, but then she smiles and…well, it's like a little, heat seeking missile has exploded inside you. And her hands…she has these long, delicate fingers…." Sadie nudged Olivia back into the real world, then looked between her and the door. "Alright, I know, you don't care unless it involves a run outside or food. Let's get this done," Olivia said putting on her coat and grabbing her cap and gloves as she stepped outside. "What is this, the fourth time I've shoveled this weekend? I better remember to throw my snowshoes in the jeep, I may need them tomorrow." At the word snowshoes, Sadie let out a sharp yip and leapt up in the air, spinning around. "Sorry Sadie, no snowshoeing tonight, but I suppose you can come to work with me tomorrow. I can introduce you to Alex then."<p>

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><p>After calling it a day, Alex had decided on a soak in the tub. Why she'd thought that would relax her, she had no idea now. Lying there in the warm, steamy water, sipping a glass of wine and listening to an old Billie Holiday record, just made her think more about Olivia. And her thoughts were anything but relaxing. She closed her eyes, finally giving in to her earlier fantasy. Sliding down further into the water, Alex put her left foot up on the edge of the tub as she caressed her own breasts, drawing her nipples out into hard peaks. Biting her lower lip, she traced her right hand down, across her stomach and along her inner thigh. Imagining that it was Olivia's well-tanned hand, Alex drug her own fingers back up her thigh, gasping as they slid through the slickness that had already accumulated. Although her eyes were closed, she was seeing Olivia's warm, brown eyes urging her on. Alex repeatedly traced a path around and over her clit until she couldn't stand it anymore. Thrusting two fingers inside herself, she dropped her left hand to her clit and in seconds made herself cum.<p>

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><p>Straightening up her living room, Olivia picked up the book that she had finally finished after working off some of her pent up energy. She had shoveled at least another 6-8 inches off her driveway and front walk, and then had thrown a ball for Sadie for a while longer. As she looked for a space for the book on her overly full bookshelves, Olivia came across one of Alex's novels. Pulling it out, she flipped to the back cover, looking for a portrait of the author. It was a black and white image in the paperback, but Olivia was able to imagine the pale gold of her hair, the captivating blue of her eyes, and the delicate pink of her lips that didn't quite meet in the middle. In the photo, Alex was wearing glasses and long, dangling earings; while it was subtle, it was clear that she was wearing makeup too; propping one elbow on a bookshelf as she turned toward the camera, the very ideal of a literary figure. Olivia lightly traced one finger along Alex's cheek and across her lips, letting herself imagine for just a moment what it would be like to do it in person. What it would be like to kiss those lips. Shaking her head, Olivia put the book back on the shelf and turned back to the living room. Deciding that she'd done enough, she shut off the lights and headed to bed.<p> 


	5. Chapter 5

AN: Sorry this update took a bit longer. Holiday travel got in the way. This chapter sort of sets things up for Alex and Olivia to get closer and also to start unraveling the death of Henry Cabot. Reviews are appreciated as always. And of course, I still don't own these lovely characters.

She felt the light tickle of fingertips tracing the line of her jaw, brushing across her lips, only to be replaced by soft lips. They left delicate kisses on her mouth, across her cheek, and down her throat. Slowly opening her eyes, she looked up at Alex and released a breath she didn't realize she had been holding. Alex smiled a lazy, easy smile, and moved over her, straddling her hips. She was naked, completely naked, and Olivia reached out to put her hands on Alex's hips. "Ah ah ah, no touching," Alex admonished, as she grasped Olivia's wrists and leaned over her to place them above her head, briefly pressing them into the mattress to make it clear that Olivia was to leave them there. Pulling herself back up, Alex placed a firm kiss on Olivia's mouth as she opened it to protest the one-sidedness of this encounter. "Just relax," Alex whispered, "you'll get your turn."

Once again sitting astride Olivia's hips, Alex began running her fingers up under Olivia's t-shirt, drawing them up a little higher each time after she returned to tease the sensitive skin at the waistband of Olivia's boxers. Struggling to keep her hands to herself, Olivia closed her eyes, willing herself to relax, until Alex slid her hands over her breasts. Olivia moaned softly as Alex brushed her thumbs firmly over her nipples. Her eyes popped open as Alex continued to tease her nipples, a current of electricity running from them through the rest of her body. Alex had closed her eyes, her mouth hung open just slightly, and Olivia could feel rather than see Alex very subtly starting to grind her hips down onto Olivia's. She couldn't stand it anymore. She had to touch Alex. She needed to feel the flushed skin of her throat and trace the pink as it spread down her chest toward Alex's breasts. She could feel the heat radiating off Alex's skin just before her fingers touched the beautiful blonde for the first time. She trailed one finger across Alex's collar bone and started down her sternum…

_BUZZ BUZZ BUZZ BUZZ_

Olivia was ripped out of her dream by her alarm clock. Rolling over she slapped the clock into silence. Sadie jumped on the bed and gave her a sloppy lick across her cheek. "Ugh! Go away!," she muttered as she flopped back on her bed and threw her arm over her eyes. As Sadie paced around the room, Olivia processed what she now realized was just a dream. Her body slowly released most of the tension that had built while she slept. Her alarm sounded again, indicating that she had been lying there for 15 minutes. Sitting up and swinging her legs over the edge of the bed, she turned off the alarm. Sadie came to sit in front of her, looking at her with her head cocked to one side, a questioning look on her furry face. Olivia reached out and scratched the dog behind her ear, "sorry for shoving you off the bed, girl. Let me grab a shower and then I'll feed you. Okay?"

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><p>Alex was jolted awake. The darkness was just beginning to fade, as she looked around the loft, trying to determine what had awakened her. Picking up her phone, she saw it was only 5:53 a.m.. Then she heard it. The banging of metal on metal. Instantly she knew. Bears. She must have forgotten to put the padlock on the trash bin the night before when she took the trash out. It was cold and dark, and she hadn't bothered to put a coat on. After fighting with the lock, knocking over the recycling bag and then picking up the spilled cartons, bottles, and cans, she must have forgotten to relock the bin in her hurry to get back inside where it was warm.<p>

Groaning, Alex burrowed back into her covers and pulled a pillow over her head. _What am I going to do now?! I hate bears! Maybe it will just go away on its own. Yeah, I bet it'll eat its fill and then wander off. I just have to wait it out._

* * *

><p><em>BLAM! BLAM!<em> Olivia froze and softly commanded Sadie to heel. _What the hell?!Is it national fire your shot gun day?_ Kneeling, she attached a lead to Sadie's collar. "Sorry, girl," she apologized to the dog, "but I don't want you getting too far ahead of me. We've already had one close call with Ned shooting at us this morning." Rising again, she stood still for a few minutes, straining to hear any movement in the woods. Wind was the only thing she heard. She was nearly to the Cabot cabin. She'd had to leave her jeep about a mile down the main road from the cabin's access road because the road was drifted shut with all the snow from the weekend. There had been no trace of anyone else having traveled down the main road and she was too far from Ned's to be able to hear any gun shots if he'd had another unwelcome visitor. Finally, the cold and the wind forced her to move on. There had been no more gun shots and nothing appeared to be moving in the forest.

The terrain became rockier and steeper as she drew nearer to the cabin. The trees had thinned out a bit here and she could see smoke rising behind the grove of trees that protected the back of the cabin on the northwest. Olivia realized that she had misjudged her elevation a bit; she should have cut over from the power line cut to the access road sooner. Not that the road would have been easier going. The snow was just deep and with no base, her snowshoes would have sunk just as much on the road, maybe even more because the snow was likely drifted deeper there. Finally, coming through the last of the trees, she saw the cabin in front of her.

Suddenly Sadie froze, her hackles were raised and a low growl came from deep in her throat. A loud metal bang made Olivia turn away from the dog. A second bang, and she honed in on the sound. A large, black bear was pawing at the metal trash bin, flipping the lid partly open with her big paws. Olivia watched as the bear tried a third and a fourth time to get the lid open. She could hear the bear crying as if in frustration. One more time the bear hit the lid and it flew open. A smaller bear popped out and the big bear smacked it on the head before nuzzling its fur. Olivia laughed to herself. It looked like a cub must have gotten trapped in the trash bin and mama bear wasn't too happy with it. Mama bear rummaged around in the trash a little bit more, banging the trash can around in the bin, before returning to her cub and nudging it forward, indicating it was time to move out.

As the bears headed toward the woods, another movement caught Olivia's eye. She saw Alex round the corner of the cabin and raise a shot gun into the air. _BLAM! BLAM!_ Alex fired twice into sky. The big bear turned, rose up on its hind legs, and roared.

Olivia sprang into motion. She shouted at Sadie to stay, as she jumped out from the tree line waving her hands in the air and yelling at the bear.

_BLAM!_ Rushing forward Olivia felt a series of stings in her right arm. She saw the bear drop to all fours and amble quickly into the forest, shooing its cub in front of it. And then she felt her snowshoe catch on something in the deep snow and she was falling, twisting, into the snow.

Groaning, Olivia thrashed around in the snow, trying to free her foot. It didn't help that Sadie had leapt to her side as she hit the ground. Working her foot loose at last, she sat up and looked around to make sure the bear had truly gone. Looking the other way, she saw Alex, hand over her mouth and a look of shock on her face. Olivia started to get to her feet, but sat back down quickly as pain shot through her left knee.

"Fuck!," she muttered under her breath.

"Oh my God! Olivia!" Alex dropped the shot gun and hurried to Olivia's side. "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to shoot you. I…You…You startled me and I accidentally pulled the trigger. How badly are you hurt? Oh God! I'm sorry!," the blonde blurted out as she sank to her knees by the wounded ranger.

Seeing the distress in Alex's eyes, Olivia tried to reassure her, "You didn't shoot me, Alex. I just twisted my knee when I fell."

"But you're bleeding," Alex exclaimed, waving her hands at Olivia's arm.

Olivia looked down and did indeed see blood seeping out of several holes in her coat sleeve. "Well, dammit." Looking back up, she could see tears forming in Alex's eyes. Softening her voice, she said, "It's okay, Alex. It's not that bad. There's just a couple holes in my sleeve and my arm doesn't hurt at all compared to my knee. It's partly my fault. I'm sure I must have startled you. I didn't think you'd be so quick to reload that gun and I was afraid that bear would charge you."

"No, it's all my fault. I forgot to lock the trash bin last night. I dropped the lock and the trash and…well, I just forgot to put the lock back on after I picked everything up," Alex sniffled out, tears now streaming down her face.

"Look, I really think my arm is gonna be fine. But why don't you help me inside and we can check it out. I don't know about you, but I'm starting to get a little cold sitting out here in the snow," Olivia said, watching as Alex shook her head slightly, mentally regrouping.

"Yes. Let me help you up," Alex offered a hand as she stood. Noticing the dog sitting patiently on Olivia's other side for the first time, she said, "Oh, this must be Sadie."

"Yes. Alex meet Sadie. Sadie say "hi" to Alex." At Olivia's command the black and gray dog stood and yipped twice at Alex, making the blonde smile.

"She's gorgeous, Olivia. And well-mannered."

Olivia stripped off her snowshoes and Alex helped her to her feet. They slowly made their way toward the cabin. Olivia insisted that they stop and lock up the trash bin and retrieve the shot gun. She didn't want Alex to have to come back outside on her own to do it.

Once inside, Olivia collapsed in the chair closest to the front door. Alex helped her take her boots off and propped her left leg up on the coffee table. While she went to get a first aid kit, Olivia stripped off her gloves and hat, and then slowly pulled her coat off. Dropping her gear to the floor, she unzipped her sweater and unbuttoned her shirt. She slipped her left arm out and then gingerly slipped the fabric down over her injured right arm. Sure enough, there was blood oozing from about half a dozen small holes in her shoulder and upper arm. It stung, but it didn't seem too serious. Her knee was definitely the worse of her two injuries.

Olivia relaxed back into the chair and reached over to rub Sadie's ears. The dog hadn't left her side the whole time. She could hear Alex rummaging around upstairs in the loft, looking for first aid supplies. Sadie shifted closer and laid her head on Olivia's good leg. The cabin was warm and the adrenaline in Olivia's blood stream was dissipating. Continuing to stroke Sadie's head, she let her eyes close as she waited for Alex.


	6. Chapter 6

AN: Thanks for all the kind reviews! Hope you continue to enjoy. Still don't own these lovely characters.

Leaning over the railing of the loft, Alex intended to tell Olivia that she would be right down. But the sight of the brunette sitting back in the chair, in just her green uniform trousers and a gray tank top, made her pause. Her hair was tousled and the light from the fire place made it seem as if her skin was glowing. Olivia's eyes were closed and she seemed to be asleep.

Alex gathered the first aid supplies and some spare towels, and quietly carried them down stairs. As Alex approached, Sadie got up and went to lay in front of the fire. The dog kept her eyes trained on Alex, as if to make sure that she wasn't going to do her master any harm. Kneeling beside Olivia, Alex softly reassured the dog, "It's okay, Sadie. We'll get her fixed up. I promise I'll take good care of her."

At the sound of Alex's voice, Olivia stirred and sat up. "Sorry, I must have drifted off for a minute."

"That's alright. Arm or knee first?"

"If you have some ice for my knee, I can start on my arm. I've had my shots, but I'd rather not have a bunch of fabric fibers and buckshot in my arm for too long," Olivia said, inspecting her arm. "I'm sorry, but I think you're going to have to help me pick the buckshot out. I can probably get some of them, but I'm right handed and some of the wounds are too far on the outside of my arm for me to really reach."

"That seems only fair, since I'm the one who put them there," Alex responded getting up to retrieve some ice. She came back with an ice pack, a bottle of scotch, and two glasses. "I think we may need this. I'm a tad bit squeamish and I don't have anything stronger than ibuprofen to offer you."

Olivia settled the ice pack on her knee, sucking in a breath against the pain, while Alex poured them each two fingers of scotch. Handing Olivia a glass, she said, "I really am sorry. I still can't believe I shot you."

"Like I said, it was partly my fault. You didn't know I was there. But I would like to know how it is that you managed to reload that gun so quickly. I knew you had fired both barrels already, so I never even thought twice about jumping out when I saw that mama bear turn on you."

Alex took a sip of her scotch and set the glass down. Arranging the first aid supplies on the coffee table, she grabbed some alcohol wipes. "Bottoms up. I'll tell you the story about how I wanted to be Annie Oakley when I was a kid, while I clean up your arm."

Olivia followed Alex's instructions and finished off her drink, before handing the glass back. Alex gently started wiping the blood from Olivia's bicep and shoulder. The brunette was entranced by the long, delicate fingers. And as she worked, first cleaning off the blood and then very carefully using a pair of tweezers to pull the buckshot from seven tiny holes, she told Olivia how she had become so proficient with a shotgun. …"and that's how I came to be a prize-winning skeet-shooter by the time I was 14. Somewhere in my attic in Boston, there is a box full of trophies and ribbons. But I have to say, I'm rather impressed with myself. I wouldn't have guessed that I could still reload that fast after all these years." Setting the tweezers down, Alex said, "Okay, I think these are cleaned out as well as I can get them. Let me just bandage up your arm and we can see about your knee." She smeared some antibiotic ointment over the wounds, silently admonishing herself not linger too long. But the feel of Olivia's strong muscles lying under soft, warm skin, momentarily distracted her.

Clearing her throat, Olivia broke into Alex's reverie: "Thanks, it looks good. And remind me never to get on your bad side. Even if you haven't used a gun in years, you're obviously still a crack shot."

Laughing self-consciously and blushing, Alex quickly taped some gauze over Olivia's arm. Then gathering up the used alcohol pads and bandage packaging, she stood and crossed the room to the trash. Even though it took only a moment, it gave her a chance to compose herself. Returning to Olivia, she poured the brunette another two fingers of scotch before taking another sip of her own. "I can't imagine what you could possibly do to get on my bad side. But I'm pretty sure you must be sorry you ever met me. First, you're out in the cold toting and chopping wood for me, when you could be starting your weekend off. Then you twist your knee trying to save me from a bear; a bear that was only here because of my carelessness. And to top it off, I shoot you."

"Now that you put it all together like that, I should probably high tail it out of here for my own safety," Olivia said with a cockeyed grin on her lips. "Unfortunately, I don't think I'd get back to my jeep with this knee."

"Now that you mention it, why were you coming from the woods behind the cabin and where is your jeep?" Alex asked, sitting on the floor in front of Olivia.

Balancing her glass on the arm of the chair, Olivia described how she had left her jeep on the main road because the snow was too deep to get through. Instead she had snowshoed in, following the easier path that had led her higher than she had anticipated. Finishing her explanation, she added, "And I suppose I ought to call into headquarters to see if they can send someone out with a snowmobile to pick me up. It might take them a few hours, I hope that's okay with you."

"Of course, it's the least I can do. Why don't you call in and then we'll take care of your knee."

Olivia rummaged through her coat and found her phone. Placing a call to dispatch, she asked to be transferred to her captain. She quickly explained what had happened, although Alex noticed she left out the part about the shooting, before pausing to listen to the voice on the other end of the phone. After a few "yes, sirs," and "no, sirs," she said," I understand, sir. I don't think it will be a problem, but let me ask her." Covering the speaker on her phone with one hand, Olivia turned to Alex and said, "I hate to ask this, but with the weekend snow they're swamped with stranded travelers and accidents. Since I don't need immediate medical care, would it be alright if I maybe have to stay overnight? I can just bunk on the couch." Getting a smile and an affirmative nod from Alex, Olivia picked up the phone again: "It's not a problem, cap'n. I'll be just fine here. Sorry, I'm not there to help out." Saying her goodbye, she ended the call.

"I'm sorry, Alex. I promise I,…well, actually we won't get in your way. My captain said he'd let me know as soon as he could arrange for someone to get up here for me."

"Olivia, it's really not a problem. It will give me a chance to make all this up to you at least a little bit. Besides it's not like I've been terribly productive lately; I'm stuck and can't seem to figure out where to go next. And to be completely honest with you, I'm still a little shaken up from my encounter with the bears," Alex admitted.

"Oh, that reminds me," Olivia said, "I stopped at Ned's place before I came up here this morning. He didn't try to shoot me, at least not at first, so I thought I'd ask him about Moose Creek Falls. It was kind of weird actually. He's in his late 80's and his memory isn't always good, so I thought that I'd ease him into the topic by asking if he'd ever worked as a guide for the Boston Guard boys when they were up here. It would have been quite a bit later than the years you're interested in, but I figured that maybe there was some institutional memory even after a couple of decades.

"Ned was a guide for the Boston Guard for a few seasons, but it turns out that his uncle, Jim, was also a guide for them. And even though he was much younger than the boys in the Guard, Ned tagged along sometimes when his uncle was their guide. This would have been in the 30's. Apparently, Jim had started working as a guide before World War I, so he may well have known about Moose Creek Falls.

"But that's when things got a little strange. We were talking about some places up north, in that larger area that I circled on your map, and I asked him if he'd ever heard about a legend of Indian gold buried near by a waterfall. He laughed, but started listing off stories he had heard about buried gold. He mentioned a few streams and falls by name, so I asked him if any of them had ever been called Moose Creek Falls.

"The next thing I knew, he was yelling at me to get out of his house. I tried to calm him down, but he wasn't having it. So I left, but not before he took a couple shots at me. I guess I'm just lucky that I didn't twist my knee then and that he didn't hit me with either shot. I'd hate to have been stuck there with Ned," Olivia said, finishing her story with a chuckle.

Alex looked horrified. She had put her hand to her mouth in astonishment as Olivia was finishing her story. "Oh my god, Olivia! Not only did I shoot you, but I also got you shot at for asking about my research," she exclaimed.

"Well, this isn't the first time Ned has shot at me, and I'm sure it won't be the last. I'm just sorry I didn't get anything more specific for you, Alex. I can probably make some better educated guesses though, with what Ned did tell me. When I get home, I'll pull out a more detailed map and see how much I can narrow the likely area of the falls."

Seeing that Alex still looked unsettled, she continued, "why don't we see about me knee. I think it's sufficiently numb to mess with now." And with that she levered herself out of the chair and to her feet. Balancing largely on her right foot, Olivia unfastened her gun belt and added it to the pile of outdoor gear by the chair. She then made quick work of her belt buckle and started unbuttoning her uniform trousers. Hearing a loud thunk, she looked up to see that Alex had abruptly set her glass down on the coffee table. Blue eyes were focused on her waistline and the blonde was biting her bottom lip.

"Sorry, I've got long underwear on under my trousers and I don't think I'll be able to get them up over my knee," she explained. "And I'd rather not cut them off since I didn't bring a change of clothes."

Olivia's words broke Alex's trance. "Uh,…oh,…uh, of course. Let me grab you a pair of shorts," Alex said as she jumped up and headed for the stairs. "I'll be right back."

As the blonde ran back down stairs, shorts in hand, she almost tripped on the last step. Olivia had finished undoing the button and zipper of her trousers and was bent over, carefully stripping them down over her knees. Alex sucked in a breath as she outright leered at the ranger's toned body. Olivia was wearing gray boy shorts that matched her tank top. She had turned to the left to brace herself on the arm of the chair and Alex had a perfect view. Her quads and glutes flexed taut as she supported her weight on her good right leg. Her breasts straining against the fabric of her shirt; her waist trim and just barely exposed as she leaned over. Olivia struggled to get her trousers and long underwear over her swollen left knee with her right hand, and she started tottering a little bit, hopping a couple times on her right foot to maintain her balance.

Quickly crossing the room, Alex dropped the pair of shorts on the coffee table. Placing her left hand on Olivia's back, she said "Here, let me help you." Then she slid her right hand around Olivia's side to steady her, while the brunette pushed her layered clothes to the floor.

"Thanks," Olivia said as she stood up into the blonde's arms, looking her in the eye and offering her a grin that Alex was starting to become familiar with, and was beginning to suspect was a bit flirtatious.


End file.
